Buzzfeed’s ‘Tasty’ Slammed For Tone-Deaf ‘Love Island USA’ Joke About Contestant Chelley

Buzzfeed‘s Tasty blog is facing backlash after posting a since-deleted Instagram carousel titled “What I Think Each Love Island Girl Deserves for Breakfast.” The post paired each Love Island USA contestant with a cheeky breakfast item.

When it came to contestant Michelle “Chelley” Bissainthe, a Haitian-American Islander, the post was no longer funny. Her “breakfast” featured fruit, Goldfish crackers, and a “knuckle sandwich” —represented by a white fist wedged between two slices of bread.

Viewers quickly called out the image as violent and racially charged. Chelley’s social media team responded with a strong statement, accusing Buzzfeed of promoting a “subtle yet present” message of domestic violence through imagery infused with anti-Blackness and misogyny.

Her social media accounts asserted that it “was not breakfast but violence,” pointing out that on the hit Peacock show, male contestants make breakfast for the women — making the image even more unsettling.

“The slide dedicated to Chelley was not breakfast but violence. Specifically, hinting at domestic violence,” Chelley’s account stated. “Why? How? They created a graphic and edited a ‘knuckle sandwich’ on a plate. So, I ask you a pressing question…’Who makes breakfast for the Islanders?’ The answer is the men; they make breakfast for the women.”

It continued, “Hence, the message of domestic violence is subtle yet present when we use our critical thinking and reasoning skills, especially in the field of journalism and media. It is not only disturbing, disgusting, and unacceptable. It is the harsh reality that implicit biases can be rooted in anti-blackness, misogyny, prejudice, violence, etc.”

“Team Chelley will not tolerate this level of disrespect, anti-Blackness, prejudice, and misogyny,” Chelley’s statement continued. “We will not accept a narrative in which Chelley deserves violence.”

The statement also noted that, while her family saw the post, Chelley didn’t, as she is still in Fiji filming the show.

Critics on social media echoed the sentiments, flooding the post’s comment section before Buzzfeed pulled it down. The company issued a public apology, which has since also been deleted, admitting the “knuckle sandwich” joke missed the mark and “landed with racial undertones” that they failed to catch.

Tasty later followed up with an Instagram Story acknowledging that the post didn’t meet their editorial standards and promised to “ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

“We published a version of this post earlier today that was meant to ruffle some feathers — all in good fun about a TV show we collectively can’t get enough of — but one of our jokes missed the mark,” Buzzfeed stated. “We referenced a ‘knuckled sandwich’ in our slide about Chelley, and though it was meant to be cheeky it landed with racial undertones that we didn’t intend (but should’ve seen coming).”

It added, “Tasty is meant to be a joyful, welcoming space, and this post didn’t reflect that. As massive Love Island fans, we took it down, talked it through, and reworked it to make sure the jokes didn’t come at anyone’s expense. Thank you for helping us do better!” 

This latest misstep follows contestant Cierra Ortega’s removal from the show for past use of the Asian slur “chinky” to describe her eye shape.

In a nearly five-minute Instagram video shared Tuesday (July 9), wearing a sweatshirt reading “empathy,” Ortega publicly apologized to “not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community.”

As Love Island USA season 7 heads into its final episode this Sunday (July 13), viewers are demanding more than entertainment — they’re asking for accountability.